San Jose’s St. Joseph Cathedral quiet but colorful this season

Regular visitors to downtown San Jose may have wondered why they haven’t heard anything about Season of Hope, the free concert series at Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph that would normally be underway right now. As you might have guessed, it’s on hiatus this year after a 25-year-run of providing a showcase for Bay Area choirs and musicians while raising money for Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County.

Sharon Miller, who coordinated the concerts since their start in 1996, stepped down from that job after last year (though she’s still working for Catholic Charities Cathedral Social Ministries) and no one was able to step into the role this year. St. Joseph’s has gone through its own challenges including the relocation of its longtime music director, Julie Wind, about a year ago.

But while the inside of the cathedral is quiet in the evenings this month, there’s a lot going on outside. For the third consecutive year, the majestic building is being used as a digital canvas for a projection-mapped art show created by Santa Clara-based Estioko Designs. The show begins around 6 p.m. each night and is accompanied by music that’s best heard on the west side of Market Street facing the cathedral.

Maybe next year we can get both the projection mapping and celebrate the return of Season of Hope.

ALL ABOUT THE ART: ArtHouse Studio — a student art program that’s been around for more than 20 years — celebrated its first anniversary as a nonprofit this month with an art showcase and fundraiser in Willow Glen.

Executive Director Julie Stover said the nonprofit status enables ArtHouse Studio (formerly known as ArtHouse Kids) to concentrate on the creative and opportunity gap in under-resourced communities. It’s partnered with companies including LinkedIn, Adobe, Salesforce, Intuit, Nike and the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley to help students explore their artistic sides.

“Art can be a powerful tool to address mental wellness, empowerment and innovation,” Stover said. “We are all about the importance of showcasing images from our programs to let students and their families feel pride in what they have accomplished and give communities a chance to see and hear students voices for better understanding of the youth that surrounds us all. Art can be a great connector.”

ArtHouse Studio brings its Creativity for Life programs to over 1,300 students each week and is building a video series for schools that need a budget-friendly, 15-minute “creative break” in the day. You can check out a gallery of the student artwork inside the Garden Theater on Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, where the Dec. 7 fundraising event was held, and find out more at www.arthousestudioca.org.

HANUKKAH AND HOCKEY: Chabad of San Jose and other local Jewish organizations are celebrating Jewish Heritage Night at SAP Center on Sunday, the first night of Hanukkah. Fans who arrive early for the game against the Calgary Flames can watch the lighting of the Grand Menorah at 6 p.m., along with remarks by Rabbi Shaya Bernstein and Rabbi Aaron Cunin of Chabad, as well as San Jose Sharks player Luke Kunin.

“The menorah serves as a symbol of our community’s dedication to preserve light and encourage perseverance,” Rabbi Cunin said. “The eight-day holiday symbolizes the need to keep growing and adding light in our lives and communities.”

CRUISING RIGHT ALONG: Remember when San Jose City Councilmember Raul Peralez took down the last “No Cruising” sign in front of City Hall back in August? At the last City Council meeting of the year — and of his eight-year tenure — Peralez joined with members of the United Lowrider Council of San Jose to present that sign, autographed by him and many of his council colleagues, to Ken Middlebrook, curator of collections at History San Jose, to join the city’s historical collection.

At the same meeting, Peralez and Mayor Sam Liccardo presented a commendation to Estella Inda, a research services and social sciences librarian for San Jose State at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Main Library. Over the past several years working at the library’s California Room, she helped organize and curate both the “Story and King” lowrider and the “East Side Dreams” exhibits that explored the history of East San Jose and the lowrider and Chicano culture.

CHEERS TO YOU: Santa Clara County Counsel James Williams was honored recently with the Daniel Curtain Young Public Lawyer Award for outstanding public service by the International Municipal Lawyers Association. The award came just in the nick of time for Williams — who’s been the county’s top lawyer since 2016 — as he’s been tapped to succeed County Executive Jeff Smith when he retires next year. Maybe the 38-year-old Williams has a “young county executive” award in his future.

The Santa Clara County Farm Bureau, meanwhile, presented the Linda L. Lester Friend of Agriculture Award to Valley Water Director Richard Santos last Wednesday for his support for Santa Clara County agriculture. If I were a farmer, I’d want the guy who handles the water to be a friend of agriculture, too.